70s/80s Chocolate Brown Silk Taffeta Party Dress By Bill Blass

This brown taffeta party dress from premier American designer, Bill Blass, has a wide, portrait collar (always flattering), a dropped waist with a full skirt, and three large rhinestone buttons. The long sleeves are ruched for about six inches at the wrists and have zippers for closure. The dress has a long back zipper for closure. The best part is the adorable petticoat with a double layer of stiff netting on bottom and a top layer of softer netting with fuzzy polka dots! I'm dating this dress to the 1970s, but it could lapse into the early 1980s. No fabric tag is present, but the brown fabric looks and feels like silk taffeta. No size label is present, but the measurements indicate it is closest to a modern size 4 or 6. Please refer to the measurements for the best guidance regarding size.*

Note: You might have noticed a “Miss Jackson’s” label in the last photo. Originally opened in the balcony of a jewelry store in 1910, Miss Jackson’s was a luxury boutique department store that grew to be a Tulsa institution known for the finest merchandise and impeccable service. The store has been described as “how beautifully forgotten it was; lost in time, but in the most elegant way.” Finally unable to compete with stores like Neiman Marcus, Miss Jackson’s sadly closed its doors in January, 2016.

MEASUREMENTS
- Shoulder width is 15"
- Chest is 34"
- Dress waist is 30"
- Petticoat waist is 26”
- Dropped waist is 35” (where gathered skirt begins)
- Hips are free
- Sleeve length is 23.5"
- Length is 37" down center back excluding collar.

CONDITION
Excellent condition with no significant flaws. Appears that two seams have been let out about .5 inch on each side of the zipper in back where the dropped waist joins the skirt (probably a service provided by Miss Jackson’s expert seamstresses on staff to serve their clients’ needs for alterations at the time of purchase.)